The Brookhaven leader., 1887-11-10
The knights of Labor.

Knights of Labor, which has adjourn
ed after two weeks, has acquitted il.
self most creditably. On the morning
of its assembling, the Pioneer Press,
in reviewing the situation, observed
that the negative work before it was
far more important than the positive
that the things which the Knights
should not do were more numerous
than the things that they should.
This is the counsel which prevailed
among the Knights themselves, and
has made their annual meeting pro-
motive Of much good. When the
convention met, it was with an un-
favorable outlook for the order. Its
membership had fallen off heavily dur
ing the year. Its management was
distressed by the introduction of hos.
tile elements, and the discussion of
questions foreign to all the declared
i
purposes of the organization. Public
sympathy had been, in some measure,
alienated by unfortunate contests and
the employment of unwarranted meth
DDS. 1t was clear that a check must
be put upon the disintegrating forces
at work. This is what the convention
has done. At an early date it settled
for good all the questions raised by So
cialists and anarchists, and barred
these subjects from consideration. 1t
Quoted the formidable schism threat
ened within the order by endorsing in
the most unqualified terms the admin
istration of Mr.. Powderly, while al
lowing to the dissentients such liberty
of expression as more than half dis
armed them. 1t maintained the high
position it has taken in the matter Of
temperance and public education. 1t
referred the most troublesome internal
difficulty to committee of arbitration
thus setting q good example to its con-
stituent assemblies, 1t provided for
the restoration of men shut out last
year by reason of attachment to their
special unions 1t abolished the as
sistance fund, and made some effort to
guard against the admission by whole
sale of untried men desiring to use
the order for selfish purposes.
The whole tenor of its work was ju-
dicious and conservative. The gener-
al board is to be relieved hereafter
from responsibility for strikes, and,
while this implies relaxation of the
authority which should be exercised in
a matter so serious, it Will probably
work to lesser the strike area, to pre-
vent local differences from becoming
general, and to discredit the useless
and reprehcnsible fashion of the "sym-
pathetic strike" If the convention
has meagre record of progressive
work actually accomplished; if for ex
ample, many are disappointed that the
encouragement of cooperation was so
little prominent, it is rcmemberer that
not all things could be done at once.
1t was evident to any observer that
the Knights of Labor, prior to the
meeting, stood in danger Of division,
if not of dissolution. Nothing could
be done until the grievances, dis
puteS, and discussions arising from
the indiscriminate admission of new
members and the revolutionary in
tentions some of them had been dis
posed of. To do that to the general
satisfaction, to provide for the reten-
ton of the men who served faithfully
and with the enforcement of whose
ideas the success of the organization is
bound, up, is to do great work. The
Knights of Labor, are now by reason
this convention, in a position to adj
vance rapidly and SUCCESSFULLY in the
great work which they may accom-
plish by fidelity to their own standard
st. Paul Press.